President Donald Trump was heading to Florida on Friday while watching Fox News when he saw a story about Christians allegedly being targeted by Islamic groups in Nigeria, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The President was immediately angered by the report, one source said, and requested further briefing on the issue. Shortly after Air Force One touched down in West Palm Beach, he began posting on Truth Social.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he posted, adding that he is designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
A White House official told CNN that the President had been tracking this issue previously and had already begun planning to publicize it on social media.
Over the weekend, the plight of Christians in Nigeria became a central focus for Trump, leading him to call directly on his Secretary of Defense to prepare for possible action and warn that the United States could enter Nigeria “guns blazing” to protect the Christian population of Africa’s most populous country.
One source familiar with Trump’s thinking told CNN that the President’s statements toward Nigeria were also intended to gauge the country’s response. “It is an Art of the Deal type strategy,” the source said. A key part of the plan has already had the intended effect, as attention on Islamist group actions has grown due to his posts.
“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War is planning options for possible action to stop the killing of Christians in Nigeria,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to CNN. “Any announcements will come from the President directly.”
The issue of violence against Christians in Nigeria has long been a concern for American conservatives. Some of Trump’s top allies, including Senator Ted Cruz, have recently called for US intervention, alleging that the Nigerian government has not done enough to protect Christians.
Nigeria has denied the accusations, emphasizing that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks by radical Islamist groups.
Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to prepare for possible action in Nigeria, including potential US boots on the ground, reportedly surprised many in the military. Personnel within US Africa Command were abruptly recalled to headquarters over the weekend following Trump’s post on Saturday about possible military action, two sources said.
A small group of AFRICOM personnel, based in Germany, was quickly recalled to discuss potential courses of action. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that the Pentagon was preparing for action. One source added that the Pentagon was requested to build contingency plans for various scenarios.
“President Trump was elected in a landslide victory to accomplish his peace through strength agenda. The Department of War stands ready to execute the Commander in Chief’s direction,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.
The snap reaction on Saturday highlighted frustration within the military regarding policy announcements via social media, with little prior planning, a source said.
Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, declined to rule out sending American troops to Nigeria to protect Christians. “Could be,” he said when asked about US troops or airstrikes. “I envisage a lot of things. They are killing a record number of Christians in Nigeria,” he added, noting that other African countries face similar issues.
While Trump described a mass slaughter of Christians, the situation on the ground is more complex. Both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks by radical Islamist groups in Nigeria, which has a population of more than 230 million people.
Security challenges in Nigeria are driven by multiple factors, including religiously motivated attacks, communal and ethnic tensions, and disputes between farmers and herders over natural resources.
Massad Boulos, Trump’s adviser on Arab and African affairs, told Nigerian media last month, “People of all religions and of all tribes are dying. Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians.”
The Nigerian government has rejected claims that it is not protecting Christians adequately. “We are shocked that President Trump is considering military intervention in our country,” presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga told CNN.
Within US conservative circles, the situation in Nigeria has generated increasing concern. Trump previously raised the issue during a first-term meeting with then-President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018. “We are deeply concerned by religious violence in Nigeria, including the burning of churches and the killing and persecution of Christians. It is a horrible story,” Trump said. Buhari explained that the security situation in Nigeria is complex, and groups sometimes use religion to pursue economic interests.
Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” in 2020, citing severe violations of religious freedom. The Biden administration later reversed the designation.
With Trump’s return to office, American conservatives renewed efforts to pressure Nigeria to curb violence against Christians. Trump, with strong support from evangelical Christians, has emphasized protecting Christians as a key part of his foreign policy.
Paula White-Cain, senior adviser to the White House Faith Office and Trump’s spiritual adviser, has traveled to Nigeria to minister and thanked Trump for his “strong stand on Christian persecution in Nigeria.”
Senator Ted Cruz, an evangelical Christian from Texas, has introduced a bill to sanction Nigerian officials accused of ignoring or facilitating violence against Christians. The bill would also require the State Department to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
The issue was also highlighted on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on HBO, where Islamic militants in Nigeria were described as “attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country.”
Trump’s statements went further than others in threatening potential US military action. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and decisive, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” he wrote.
How any intervention would be carried out remains unclear. Last year, the US withdrew roughly 1,000 troops from Niger, which borders Nigeria, ending a long-standing presence there.
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